When contenders for the Primetime Emmy Awards were announced in early July, Apple TV scored a huge haul with 89 nominations! Fifteen of the streamer’s series were honored, including the sci-fi epic Foundation.

Based on Isaac Asimov’s landmark fiction series, Foundation was nominated for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or Movie. Among Apple TV’s many excellent sci-fi and genre offerings, Foundation stands out for its expansive world-building, gorgeous visuals, and top-notch special effects.

In honor of Foundation’s nomination, SciFi Vision spoke with Chris MacLean, Foundation’s  Overall Visual Effects Supervisor for seasons one through three. MacLean talked about some of the highlights and challenges involved in creating season three, and how it compares to the show’s early days.

“We definitely keyed on some different themes and different tones this year compared to the last year,” MacLean told the site. “The first season was very hard sci-fi; the second season was a lot more action, and then this season was a little bit more introspective. Even though we had a lot of action set pieces, it was a little more character driven in terms of everything that was happening.”

Watch the full interview below to learn more about how MacLean and his team created the Mule’s psychic power, Day’s run-in with the Sunmaster, Demerzel’s death, and other cinematic visuals.

All three seasons of Foundation are now streaming on Apple TV. Filming for season four is reportedly complete and fans are looking forward to a possible release in mid to late 2027.